Is North Cyprus Ready to Overcome the Challenges of Climate Change: Implication for Tourism

Climate change is one of the biggest threats to human livelihood. These threats are more serious for island nations, because they are at the forefront of rising sea and dependency on tourism. This research aims to focus on north Cyprus, which is highly dependent on tourism, to explore the island’s policies and measures how to combat the hazards of climate change. Furthermore, to explore the precautions of tourism institutions about the threats of climate change. It is trying to determine whether measures have been taken to counter the impact of this phenomenon on the tourism industry of this country. For the purpose of this study, a qualitative method was utilized based on an in-depth interview with the sample of 12 respondents who are officials in public and private sectors and managers in tourism related firms. The result of this research revealed that minimal measures and policies are in place in the case of north Cyprus and the approach to this issue is insufficient. The study also revealed that officials in public sector and managers in private sector are aware of the catastrophic consequences of climate change, but have not been able to come up with means and measures to have readiness to deal with the impact of climate change. They are also reluctant to involve in a proactive approach to this phenomenon and take necessary action. Knowing that tourism sector is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change; unfortunately, the sector has also remained dormant pertaining this issue. The implications, limitations and pathway for future studies are also discussed. Keywords: Climate change, Tourism, Sustainability, Climate change policies, North Cyprus.